


Love Within the Sawyer Mansion

by Saintofsloth



Category: Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Movies)
Genre: Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-22 09:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17057051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saintofsloth/pseuds/Saintofsloth
Summary: Heather Miller had been living here for a couple years taking care of her masked killer cousin, Jed, and the giant house left behind by her grandmother. She handled taking care of her kin easily enough, but keeping the giant house and the huge amount of land outside orderly was a completely different story. She couldn't handle this on her own and needed someone she trusted to help out, and that person is you.Takes place a couple years after the Texas Chainsaw 3D movie(reader is gender neutral)





	1. Employer and Employee

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really see much of Texas Chainsaw 3D Leatherface getting much love, so I got some inspiration after rewatching it recently, not my favorite TCM movie since the plot was strange but it was interesting in some aspects, and i couldn't get this idea out of my head.

Heather had been living here for a couple years taking care of her cousin, Jed, and the giant house left behind by her grandmother. She handled taking care of her kin easily enough, but keeping the giant house and the huge amount of land outside orderly was a completely different story. She couldn't handle this on her own and needed help around the property, but she could never trust the locals to hire any of them. The house had slowly become more cluttered and a layer of dust covered a majority of the rooms that laid untouched, the outside becoming overgrown and untidy. Heather wasn’t the biggest fan of cleaning in the first place, and since she had started her own small business of crafting and selling things online, she’d become far too busy to keep up with the house. It’s not like she needed the extra money but it was something she wanted to do for so long, the inheritance money her grandmother had left her finally giving her the opportunity. But she hated seeing such a huge beautiful home turn into a mess, all she needed was someone else to take care of that for her.

Pondering the thought for a while she wondered if maybe there was a chance someone from her old town would want to help. The town was plenty far away that no one knew of the Sawyers or how they were murdered by the town. Typing up a quick Facebook post stating her need for help around the house/outside, 14/hr with room/board, and to contact her for more info. Hopefully a room to live in would make up for the low pay, but the guest bedroom was huge with its own bathroom. Noting to herself that she wouldn't be able to trust just anybody, they would have to respect Jed and the house.

Throughout the week only a handful of replies came, none of them from anyone she would consider trustworthy or non-judgmental. Sighing, she figured this wouldn't be easy. Putting her phone down on the kitchen counter she resumed making breakfast for her and Jed. She started letting him come up out of the basement more often, but he hasn't been up here for the past few days since she recently bought him a new makeup palette, so she figured he must be busy with that.

Heather didn't mind her cousin's “feminine” hobbies, in fact, she enjoyed getting him something cute whenever she went to the store. His face would beam under his mask and he would quickly scurry down to the basement ready to try the gifts she had gotten him. Although she was a little bummed that she never got to see him use any of it, but she respected his privacy. It was her only way to truly bond with him since he kept to himself most of the time.

She finished preparing Jed's tray of food, with the basement door unlocked throughout the daytime, she walked down the stairs and set the tray down in front of his door. Giving the metal doors a quick tap and scurrying back upstairs, Heather felt her phone buzz in her back pocket. 1 new message.

 

\---

 

Job hunting was not going so well for you as of recently, you were a caretaker for your great uncle, and sadly he had passed leaving you jobless, alone, broke and on the verge of being kicked out of your tiny apartment. Scrolling through Facebook one morning you didn't expect to see a post from Heather Miller of all people looking for a groundskeeper.

You had tutored her in science back when she was in 5th grade and you were a senior in highschool for an after-school program. She was a sweet girl, although a little odd at times. You noticed that her profile says she was in Texas now, which isn't far off from the Oklahoma/Texas border you had moved to, to take care of your grandfather's brother. The job couldn't be too difficult; her house couldn't be too big since you remember the Miller's being lower middle class. Typing up a quick message to Heather letting her know you’re interested, you decide to add your resume so she knows you're serious about the offer.

 

_

_Hey Heather, long time no see, I'm contacting you today because I was interested in the homecare job you're offering. I formally took care of a late relative which included caring for the inside and outside of his home. I can work a lawnmower, shear hedges, clean the inside of the home, and whatever else that may be necessary. I included my resume in the attached link, and I hope to hear from you soon._

\---

Heather was mildly surprised to see your name pop up, she hasn't heard from you in years but the memories she does have made her smile. Back in 5th grade she had brought a bird skull she found to school to show everyone, even interrupting the tutor lesson just to show you. You were the only one who wasn't grossed out, you were intrigued and wondered what kind of local bird it could have been. Gently holding it and inspecting the frail skull, Heather had secretly wished you were her older sibling since she never had any.

Shaking away the memory, she checked out your resume and everything seemed alright. A quick background check wouldn't hurt either just in case, but a gnawing feeling settled into her stomach. Would you be accepting of Jed? Would Jed be accepting of YOU? Heather chewed her thumbnail anxiously thinking of all the ways this could go wrong, but you were such a sweet person and she really needs the help. You were the best option so far, certain there probably wouldn’t be anyone else more caring and understanding for the job.

\---

Hearing your phone ring, you see an unknown number but pick it up anyways. It was Heather, she called from the number on your resume and the two of you chatted for a few minutes before she discussed the job at hand. Heather explained her situation about being adopted by the Miller's, inheriting her Sawyer grandmother's estate, and mentioning caring for her cousin. She didn't go too far into detail besides the house needing cleaning and the lawn outside needing mowing, with a few other odd jobs here and there. She needed the help since the house was huge but she wanted someone she could trust. The two of you continue talking about the living situation, a huge bedroom, bathroom, AND a walk-in closet didn’t sound so bad to you.

Heather sets up a day the two of you can meet and she can show you around the place, giving to the chance to asses if the amount of work is right for you. After a few pleasant exchanges the two of you say your goodbyes and end the call, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t excited for this opportunity.

\---

After ending the phone call, heather paces around the kitchen a few times, trying to figure out how she’s gonna tell Jed that someone outside of the family could possibly be staying here and working for her. She quietly walked down the basement steps, past the wine cellar, and knocking on the metal door.

“Hey Jed, I have to talk with you for a second, can you please come out here?”

Heather stood there for a minute not hearing any kind of response, maybe he was sleeping, she’d have to come back later then. But before she could turn around to go back upstairs the metal doors were being shoved open. The large man looked down at his cousin, quietly waiting for what she had to say. Heather motioned for him to come upstairs with her so they could talk in the kitchen, she felt more comfortable upstairs. He nodded silently and followed her to the kitchen and took a seat at the table, avoiding eye contact.

“so……I don’t want you to get upset, okay? So please listen to what I have to say first.”

He nodded again waiting for her to continue, avoiding her sharp blue eyes and fidgeting just a bit from the anxiety pooling in his gut.

“This house is so big, too big for just me or you to take care of. I can’t handle the chores on my own, especially the outside work so……. I contacted an old friend of mine to help me out around the property.” Heather could see Jed stiffen uncomfortably, her suspicions confirmed that he wouldn’t be fond of this at all.

“Now hear me out, they’re really trustworthy and won’t bother you at all. I will give them the guest room to stay in upstairs so you wont ever have to run into them if you don’t want to. They were really kind to me growing up so I know they won’t be an issue for you. Please give it a chance, and if anything does happen, we’ll get rid of them.”

Jed did not relax at all, the memories of people in town bullying him flooding his mind all at once. How could he trust anyone outside of his kin? He couldn’t let anything happen to his home again, he wouldn’t let anything happen the Heather either. His heart racing faster as his mind cluttered with horrible memories of the past. He shook his head, not okay with this at all.

Noticing his discomfort, Heather put her hand on his shoulder as comfort. “If a single thing happens, they’re gone for good, okay? Please trust me, I think this could really benefit the both of us.” She gave him a faint smile. “The moment anything bad happens you have full permission to do whatever you feel is best for us, but (Y/N) has a kind heart, and I highly doubt they would do anything to hurt either of us.”

Jed sighed and nodded his head in defeat, but if a single thing happens, they’ll be dragged into the basement for good. Sighing the giant man rose from his seat and made his way back downstairs, the anxiety he felt getting worse with each step.

“Thank you” Heather sighed, hoping this was the right decision.

\---

_-One week later-_

Packing all you had into your tiny little car you made your way down to the Sawyer property in a 4 hour drive, giddy with excitement and some anxiety. You really hoped this would workout, especially since you needed a change in your life.

Pulling up to the property gates you gave Heather a quick phone call to let her know you were here, the automatic gates slowly opening. Driving your car in, you took in the scenery, and it was way bigger than you expected. Were you even gonna be able to do all this on your own?

You parked next to an old beat up van that had seen better days, it looked like it had been smashed up and dragged back. But your eyes settled on the giant beautiful mansion of a home in front of you, you almost couldn’t believe it.

Heather was waiting for you on the porch, she looked exhausted, her black eyeshadow was smudged and her hair up in a messy bun. But she looked happy to see you, it had been years since the last time the two of you had even seen each other in passing. “hey its so good to see you again, come inside and let me give you the tour.” She gave you a quick hug and opened the giant wooden front door. The black-haired girl quickly went through every room in the house, naming off its purpose and whether or not you would be helping out in it. The guest room was even bigger than you imagined, way bigger than anything you would be able to afford on your own. The house was beautiful and you had a pang of excitement with being able to make this room your own.

When the two of you walked back downstairs, she led you into the kitchen. “All food would be free for you to help yourself, I usually will make meals every night for all of us.” She glanced at the corner of the kitchen and you could tell Heather had become visibly nervous, she pushed open a hidden door in the kitchen wall, motioning you to follow her. She pointed to another door inside the hidden kitchen area, “This door leads to the basement, please avoid it if you can, my cousin Jedidiah lives down there and would prefer if no one bothered him. I’ll bring him his meals and anything he needs throughout the day so you won’t have to worry about that. I usually keep this door locked, but if its unlocked and he happens to come upstairs please don’t be alarmed….or scared. He doesn’t speak so don’t try to have a conversation with him, and, uh, don’t stare at his mask.”

Nodding, you wanted her to elaborate more but you didn’t want to pry into their personal business. If you were gonna be honest with yourself you weren’t really interested in getting to know Heather’s cousin but the fact that he wore a mask peaked your curiosity. Did he wear it for a specific reason or just because he liked it? What did it look like if she warned you not to be scared? Did he have the ability to talk or did he just choose not to? Why did he stay in the basement, and why did she lock it sometimes?

You pushed these thoughts out of your head as you followed Heather out of the kitchen and into the back yard. The property was huge and the grass was starting to get out of control, but you could tell Heather had tried her best to keep up with the areas closest surrounding the house. Walking towards the side, she showed you the inside of the old barn that wasn’t used anymore besides an old cat that lived in there to catch mice, you wouldn’t have to do much in that area thankfully but that’s where all the lawn tools that you would need will be. Continuing on she guided you towards the small graveyard, “This here is where all my blood relatives are, the grass just needs to be cut around the headstones every so often.” You nodded as you read the names of the graves in your head, you knew sometimes people had private family graveyards but this was the first time seeing one in person. You wondered what had happened to all of them but you definitely didn’t want to pry, Heather would probably tell you eventually if you stayed long enough to help. But you couldn’t help but feel bad for the raven-haired girl standing next to you, it couldn’t be easy knowing a majority of your family was gone before you even got to meet them.

Walking out of the mini cemetery and towards the front of the house, you took another good look around the place, taking it all in and assessing if this was right for you. It’s nothing you haven’t done before, just on a larger scale. The free room and board would help you save so much money too. Its an opportunity you don’t think you’ll ever get again, and it beats living in an overpriced tiny apartment with an awful retail job. If anything, you think you would really enjoy the peacefulness of the place. The privacy was comforting and you had a feeling Heather would be good company to have.

“Soooo, what do you think?” Heather asked, a nervous smile on her face.

You turn to her, smiling ear to ear “I think it’s perfect, and I can’t wait to get started.”


	2. First Meeting

Heather followed you to your car, helping you bring up your luggage to your new room, you only brought clothes, necessities, and a few of your personal belongings. It only took you both a few trips to get it all upstairs, thankfully the guest room already had a king-sized bed, dressers, a wardrobe, walk in closet and even a little desk area. The bathroom was huge, two sinks, a separate shower, and an antique clawfoot bathtub. You couldn’t believe you had this all to yourself, it was beyond what you could’ve hoped for. 

Heather gave you your privacy to unpack your things, it was Saturday and the both of you agreed that you would start Monday morning giving you two days to settle in and explore the house some more. You wondered how big Heather’s room was if this was just the guest room, how big was Jed’s room if he had the almost whole basement to himself? You brushed off the thought and continued to unpack everything you own, a lot of your clothes are worn down and need replacing you thought to yourself, definitely something you’ll have to splurge on your first paycheck. 

After a couple hours of organizing everything to your liking, you decide to take a quick break and check out the inside of the house a bit more. The upstairs had three other rooms although you assumed, they were private since Heather hadn’t shown you the inside to any of them. The hallway floors needed a good cleaning and a nice wax treatment as well, walking down the stairs you could see the dust collecting in every corner and cobwebs in the ceiling. Taking note in your head of all the small things needing to be done, you were almost itching to get started now but you knew you should wait and relax.   
You had wondered into the kitchen by the wonderful aroma of something frying, Heather was standing over the stove cooking lunch for the three of you. She gave you a quick smile when she heard you walking in and motioned for you to take a seat at the kitchen table. 

“Lunch is almost done, I figured we can discuss more about the job while we eat.” She turned off the burner and arranged the meal on three plates one of them on a metal tray. “I’ll be right back.” She said, giving you your plate and taking the metal tray into the hidden kitchen door, the big metal key unlocking the basement door you could hear her soft footsteps going down the stairs. She quickly ran back upstairs, settling into the seat across from you “I hope you like fried eggs, were low on food so I need to take a trip to the store. I was thinking you could come with me to help pick out some food and any extra cleaning supplies for this week.” You gave her a genuine smile “I’m fine with just about anything, but I’d be more than happy to accompany you.” Which was true, you weren’t picky by any means when it came to food, especially when someone else was buying it for you. Quickly finishing your lunch, you clean your plate and utensils and put them away accordingly. 

Heather had offered to drive, the two of you walking over to the barn where a little black sedan was parked inside, “I don’t go shopping in this town so hopefully you don’t mind the trip a few towns over, it has way more stores anyways.” 

“Oh, I don’t mind at all, it is a small town after all so I’m not surprised we have to drive a little farther.”

Heather gave you a small smile and focused back on driving out of the property and to the nearest highway, after about 45 minutes you could see the shopping center in the distance among the cornfields. Parking her car, she hopped out to grab a shopping cart and handed you the shopping list. Giving it a quick look, most of the list was food, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene, and makeup. Heather insisted that you choose any food you would like for the next two weeks, she assured you that money wasn’t an issue so to pick whatever you like. You always had to be stingy with your money, so it was definitely a pleasant addition to working for Heather. 

After about an hour of filling the cart with food and the cleaning supplies you would be needing the two of you headed over to the personal hygiene/makeup side of the store. Heather quickly gravitated toward the makeup and she stared intently at a new liquid lipstick brand that just came out. You were never the biggest fan of makeup, but you didn’t hate it either, you just weren’t very good at it. But come to think of it, besides maybe eyeshadow, you have never really seen Heather wear much makeup either.

“Having trouble deciding on a color?” you curiously asked, she was holding a pale pink lipstick in one hand and an electric blue in the other. Her upper brow was scrunched up in deep thought, bright blue eyes practically burning holes into the makeup in her hands.

“Oh, uh well, yeah I’m not sure which would look better.”

“I think both would look great on you, but I’ve never seen you wear lipstick before.” you shrugged

Heather gave you a wary glance and looked back at the makeup in her hands. She stood there for a moment unsure if she should tell you who its really for. You were one of the least judge mental people she’s ever met and figuring there’s no point in hiding it from you since you’ll never see her wear any of it, “It’s not for me actually, it’s for Jed.”

Oh? OH. The more minor details you heard about Jedidiah the more interested you were in seeing what he looked like or who he was. In this day and age, it should be perfectly fine for anyone to wear makeup if they wanted. If he was any good at it maybe he could give you some tips and tricks, god knew you needed it, no online tutorial in the world could help you. “Well, what kind of colors is he usually into?”

Heathers eyes widened, a little taken aback but not surprised that you hadn’t scoffed or insulted her cousin’s non-gruesome hobbies, “I don’t actually know, he’s never let me see him wear it, and he can’t verbally tell me what he likes. I usually just get him something as a surprise, and so far, it seems like he’s liked everything I’ve gotten him.” She knew having a stranger in the house was stressful for him, she hoped getting him something he’d like would hopefully make him feel at least a little bit better.

Well there goes any plan on having him help you with your makeup you thought, “Why not get both? Does he have any violet lipsticks?” You pulled a pretty lilac purple lipstick off the shelves, continuing to look around at the new inventory of makeup. “What about a shimmer blush? I’ve heard good things about this brand.” You took the sample off the shelf and smeared a bit of it on your wrist, admiring the fine pink glimmer.

Heather stared at you in awe, she didn’t expect you to get so into this, but she appreciated a second opinion. “So far I’ve only gotten him a palette, and a red lipstick….I know he’s got more than that from before I started to care for him but I’m not sure what he has altogether.” 

You gave her a quick nod, “I think these would be nice for him to try out, something different for him to play around with.” You handed her a container of makeup remover wipes, “He might need this too.” Heather took the makeup and placed it in the cart, glancing over at everything the two of you gathered in the past hour. “I think were about done if I say so myself, let’s go checkout.”

\---

Heather parked her car near the front steps and opened the trunk, but before she could grab one of the plastic bags her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at the screen, sighed, and rolled her eyes, “I have to take this, can you start bringing the bags into the house and I’ll be there to help out as soon as I’m finished.” 

You nodded and grabbed a few bags, opening the front door and walked straight to the kitchen. You nearly jumped out of your skin when you see the figure of a large man sitting at the kitchen table, he jumped out of his seat as soon as he noticed you standing there but froze when you took a step forward. The kitchen light illuminated his red button up shirt, but you couldn’t take your eyes off his face, or well, his mask. 

Oh god what was that? It looked like dried leather in the shape of a face, certain parts messily sewn together, his greying brunette hair peeking out from the edges. It was horrifying to say the least, but you couldn’t take your eyes off him. “Jedidiah?” you asked shyly but you already knew it was him, he looked up at the mention of his name, the one eye you could see from the shadow of the eye holes widened. “My name is (Y/N) I’m here to help your cousin, it’s uh, it’s nice to meet you.” Placing the bags on the table, you extended your hand out to him but instead of shaking it he took a large step back, you could see he was becoming visibly uncomfortable, damn you really wished Heather was here. The air in the room becoming awkward and heavy, like you didn’t belong here and you both could feel it. But before you could say another word, the masked man had rushed into the secret kitchen door, slamming the basement door on his way down leaving you alone and a bit shaken up. That was definitely the strangest interaction you’ve ever had, and definitely different than you imagined it would be. Zoned out, lost in thought and staring at the hidden door you didn’t hear Heather walk into the kitchen behind you.

“Hey (Y/N) are you alright?” Her voice brought you back to reality as she set some bags down on the kitchen table. 

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine, I just met your cousin though.”

Heathers eyes widened, she must have forgotten to lock the basement door before the two of you left the house earlier. “What happened?” her face flashed with worry.

“Not much happened, he was sitting at the table when I walked in, I introduced myself, but he practically ran back downstairs. He didn’t look so happy to see me to be honest.” You could hear the disappointment in your voice, wishing it could’ve gone smoother.

Heather put her hand on your shoulder reassuringly “That’s Jed for ya, he’s never been very social, and he’s especially not trusting of strangers. Took him a good while to get used to me being in the house, he’s had a very traumatic past with people outside of our kin but I’m hoping he’ll come around eventually.” You looked into her bright blue eyes and could tell she was being sincere. Although Heather wouldn’t admit it, she was relieved that he hadn’t harmed you in any way. She knew that one mistake can result in you being dragged into the basement to become a part of his macabre collection of masks. A gruesome thought Heather tried to push out of her mind, but it would always linger. She wondered if Jed would ever accept you living under the Sawyer roof, or if she would have to keep the two of you separated as much as possible for as long as you worked for her.

“I hope his mask didn’t give you too much of a fright, it can take awhile to get used to.”

“It was probably the strangest thing I’ve ever seen, if I’m gonna be honest…… it looked like some kind of dried out leather. Did he make it himself? Why does he wear it?” You quickly clamped your hands over your mouth, “Sorry its none of my business, just ignore me.” Muffling out an apology between your fingers.

“No, it’s okay to be curious.” Heather reassured. “He does make them himself, but he wears them because he has a skin disease that affected his face when he was younger. I’m not sure to what extent the damage is because I’ve never seen him without it on.” Avoiding explaining what the mask was made of Heather gave you a tight smile. “Let’s go finish bringing in the groceries from the car.”

“OH RIGHT.” You exclaimed, jumping up from your seat walking back outside, Heather glanced at the hidden kitchen door and sighed before following behind.

\---

Later that night after you had retired to your room, Heather made her way down to the basement, metal tray in her pale hands. She made a dinner she knew Jed would like and arranged his gifts the two of you picked out earlier for him on the tray. Reaching the bottom step, she audibly sighed, she wasn’t gonna leave the tray for him on the ground like usual, she needed to make sure he was okay after what happened earlier. Giving the metal doors a quick but firm knock Heather stood there and waiting for the masked man. 

After a minute of silence, she knocks again this time louder, “Jed? Can you please come out here, I need to talk to you.” Again, another minute of silence before she could hear her cousin’s heavy footsteps approaching closer and closer. He doesn’t sound too happy she thought to herself, her thoughts reaffirmed as the giant man slammed open the metal door more aggressively than usual. He stood there quietly, the sound of his heavy breathing breaking the silence and bringing Heather back to what she came there to discuss. “Here’s dinner” she extended the metal tray out to him. “There’s some new makeup for you too, (Y/N) picked it out for you.” Jedidiah looked down at the tray and tilted his head, hands fidgeting just slightly. He wasn’t sure how to react, he’s never had a stranger get him anything before. Heathers bright blue eyes watched as the older man inspected each gift, his eyes widening at the strange bright blue and lilac colored makeup, he hadn’t seen a lipstick these colors before and was eager to try them out.

Sensing her cousin was about to retreat back into his room she spoke up “Please try to give (Y/N) a chance? You don’t have to be best friends forever, but I would like everyone to feel comfortable with each other while were all stuck under the same roof, okay?” her intense eyes never leaving his own.  
Jed gave a small nod before backing up and closing the metal door, once again leaving his cousin alone on the other side.

\---

-Monday Morning-

You awake to your alarm blaring, the new morning rays peeking through your bedroom window. 7am Monday morning and your first official day of work, shuffling out of bed and into your oversized bathroom. You went about your normal morning routine, a quick shower, teeth brushed, you took a moment to decide which outfit to wear figuring you were gonna get down and dirty cleaning the place you decided on a worn-out t-shirt and paint stained blue jeans. You quietly walked downstairs and into the kitchen to eat breakfast before starting the day, while eating you wrote yourself a list of today’s duties wanting to start on the inside of the house before working on the outside. 

You began with dusting the first level of the large mansion top to bottom, wiping every surface, reaching every shelf till the place shined, continuing with sweeping and mopping each floor in every room. Taking a break here and there until about 4 or 5pm and finishing the day with eating dinner with Heather and retiring for the night. The next week was about the same routine, organizing the items in the house, cleaning and waxing the floors until the first floor of the mansion was completely cleaned. 

 

You had finally finished and were taking a lemonade break in the kitchen, you stared at the hidden door, your curiosity firing up more and more. It had been a week since you started, and you still have never been in the basement, Heather had mentioned the wine cellar was down there between Jed’s room. Tapping your fingers on the kitchen table you wondered if taking a quick peek downstairs would be of any harm, maybe the cellar needed dusting, yeah, that was totally the reason why you wanted to go down there, you thought to yourself. Getting up quietly, grabbing your dust rag and pushing your way through the hidden door and toward the basement door, turning the knob hoping to see if it was unlocked. It was, you sighed in relief, but gulped down a pang of anxiety. 

You quietly open the door, shutting it behind you before turning on the light and walking down the stairs and reaching the basement floor. The cellar was nicer than you had expected, different wines stacked up neatly, a little dust here and there but it otherwise looked fine. The floor on the other hand needed some work that was for sure, there was dust and dried dirt foot prints leading in one direction from the basement stairs to a metal door. Looking around and not seeing any other rooms you assumed that’s where Jed lived. Turning your back from the door and giving the floor another look you noticed a giant dark brown stain smeared across the floor, you crouched down to give it a closer look to see if it could be easily cleaned. It was odd to say the least, but you had seen similar, although faint, stains upstairs as well. Taking your dust rag out of your pocket, you gave the stain a quick wipe, the stubborn color not budging from the cement floor, knowing you would have to do some serious scrubbing on it. 

The rough sound of a metal door sliding open almost made you jump out of your skin, your body jumping up and turning to face the noise. Jed was just a surprised to see you there as you were to see him, he was holding the metal meal tray with an empty plate.  
“Oh! Hi, I was uh just cleaning down here.” You sputtered out, glancing back at the stain on the floor.

Jed stared at you warily, never taking his eyes off your face. You couldn’t help but stare at his mask again, the leathery texture sending chills down your spine, but you swallowed down the fear and reached a hand out to him. “I can take that tray upstairs for you.”

Jed glanced back down at the tray almost as if he had forgotten he was holding it or why he had opened his door. With a slight nod and a step forward, he placed the tray into your extended hand.

“I’m sorry for our awkward first meeting the other day, I hope you don’t mind me staying here too much, I’m really happy to be helping out you and Heather.”  
Jed turned his head, looking away briefly at the ground before looking back into your eyes. He gave you a slow nod, never breaking eye contact, now that he was even closer you could see electric blue applied to the outer edges of his masks mouth hole, although it was difficult to see in the basement lighting you could’ve sworn he had the lipstick on his own lips as well. When he turned to look at you the glitter of the blush highlighted the rough texture of his mask.  
If you haven’t already been aware of his mask it definitely would’ve been a frightening sight, but this time It was almost endearing to see him wearing the gifts you had gotten him. You felt a rush of warmth wash over you, giving him a genuine smile “I hope you enjoyed the colors I picked out for you, they had all sorts of fun colors and I can get even more for you next time if you’d like.” The big man stood there quietly for a moment before nodding shyly, he made a quiet grunt while fidgeting with his hands, he stared past you and at the stain on the floor.

“Please let me know if you need anything okay? I know I’m not family, but I want you to know you can trust me and feel safe with me around.” You absentmindedly reached your hand out to pat his shoulder in comfort, before you realized it his hand was almost painfully gripping your wrist preventing it from touching his arm. You were shocked at how quickly he grabbed your arm but before you could utter an apology, he released you, stepping back into the darkness of his room, slamming the metal door. Jumping at the noise you stared at the door for a few moments taking in what just happened. Did you even make any progress getting on his good side or did you just end up making it worse? Sighing you turned around and made your way back upstairs with the metal tray in hand. 

After you finished your work for the day you retired to your bedroom early, letting heather know you weren’t feeling hungry enough for dinner. You didn’t mention to her about going into the basement or the encounter with her cousin, but the memory repeated over and over again in your mind, you couldn’t get yourself to focus on anything else. The more interactions you had with this strange man the more curious you were about him. Who was he really? How did he end up like this or was he always this way? What did he do all day down there? Would he ever feel comfortable with you around? 

You weren’t sure why, but the last question replayed again and again in your mind, and you weren’t sure why it mattered so much. Sure, you wanted to be civil and comfortable with everyone in the house, but it seemed more than that when it came to Jedidiah. You wanted him to feel comfortable around you, and to like your company there. You’ve never really felt this way about anyone before, you didn’t mind too much if someone didn’t want to get to know you and you didn’t need everyone to like you.

Sliding into bed, under your covers, memories of electric blue lipstick messily applied onto a strange, uncomfortably human looking leather mask flashed into your brain, the glitter shining from the dull basement lights permanently sealed in your mind. Anyone else would have thought it was nightmare inducing, but you couldn’t help but smile to yourself, it was kinda cute in a macabre sort of way. You couldn’t help but want to know more and more about the mysterious man living in the basement. But something in the pit of your stomach suggested otherwise, warning you that this man could be so much more dangerous than you would or could ever know. 

Closing your eyes, you pushed the worry out of your mind, letting sleep take you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than usual! The holidays delayed this chapter a lot but I'm glad to get it out there
> 
> Also thank you so much for your comments!!!! They were my #1 motivation to get this chapter done and I appreciate it so much and I'm excited to write chapter 3 which will be way more exciting

**Author's Note:**

> this chapter isn't the most interesting but it definitely sets up for chapter 2, hopefully ill have that out soon!


End file.
